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It begins

Penulis: Momo
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-02-24 03:43:13

Emily

A YEAR LATER..

“Just one more fucking click and I’m out of this war zone!” I yelled as I swatted away a pesty fly.

I could not believe that I had to take as many pictures as a hundred to satisfy my new supervisor. He is so fucking demanding than the last director.

Sadly, Mr Hickens, my old director, got demoted for being lazy and laid back at work. Thanks to me and a few others. I sighed.

Last year was a whole lot.

It was strange to think that just a year ago, I had been so entangled with Reuben, that son of a bitch who only saw me as his piggy bank. It is so unlike him to have just pestered me for a while and stopped.

I was glad hoping he had moved on, but I was wrong. It was a ploy he thought would make me miss him and get back to him.

“Fucking narcissist.” I muttered under my breath.

I crouched by a cluster of wildflowers, their vibrant purples and yellows catching my eye.

Framing them carefully through the lens, I snapped a few shots. The crisp click of the shutter was
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  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    Out completely

    Ethan’s POVI watched as she stormed away and I could not help but admire her under the beautiful sunlight. I leaned against the rough bark of a towering oak tree, my gaze locked on Emily as she meticulously adjusted her camera.She stood in a small clearing ahead, surrounded by vibrant wildflowers and the kind of untamed beauty that seemed to suit her perfectly.She hadn’t changed much. Her golden blonde hair was tied up in a loose bun, stray strands framing her face as she bent slightly, trying to get the perfect angle for her shot.That way she bit her lip ever so slightly when she was focused, it fucking stirred something deep within me. I never expected that she would blow me off like she just did.Even though Lila did warn me.Lila’s words replayed in my head for the hundredth time.She’s not having it. I think it would be best if you apologized to her in person. Lila always had a way of cutting through my defenses.When she spoke, I listened. Even if her advice wasn’t always wh

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24
  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    Thor’s ear

    Ethan's POVArriving at the entrance to the mansion, the automated gates swung open and I drove in. The sight of the building never ceased to impress me.I was initially uncomfortable with the idea of getting automated gates, but Alpha Ronan really convinced me to get it for the mansion and now I am very much in love with it.The gates glided smoothly, their wrought iron design intricate and imposing, a perfect introduction to the estate that lay beyond.The driveway was a winding path of cobblestones bordered by lush greenery, meticulously trimmed hedges, and bursts of colorful flowers that added a touch of life to the serene setting. A mini fountain sat at the center of the circular driveway, its water cascading in soft splashes.I slowed the car to a stop, the tires crunching lightly against the gravel. Before I could step out, my two dogs came bounding across the expansive front lawn.Thor, the massive German Shepherd, and Loki, his mischievous Siberian Husky counterpart, were a s

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24
  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    Unnerved me

    Emily“Damn! Mr Gregory deserves a treat for being good today.” I squealed as I was about to leave the graphics house.Work had closed earlier than I expected, which was a rare gift. As I stepped out of the graphics house, the crisp evening breeze kissed my skin.Mera had already let loose her dark brown hair. She usually tied it into a bun when working.“So, who’s the handsome man with the chestnut brown hair and the sturdy build?” she asked, nudging me with her elbow.I frowned, confused. “What are you talking about?”Mera rolled her eyes dramatically. “Don’t play dumb, Em. That well built, not so tall but drop dead gorgeous man who walked in here earlier. He asked about you.”My mind raced to connect her words to a face, but I couldn’t think of anyone who fit the description. Then, like a whisper from my subconscious, Ethan’s frame emerged in my thoughts.I paused in my steps. Was Ethan here?“What did he look like?” I asked cautiously.Mera shrugged. “He wore a white button down s

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24
  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    Trailing behind

    EthanIt had been several hours since Reuben stormed out of my house, but his parting words still echoed in my head, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.I was sprawled on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling, replaying the confrontation over and over. His audacity was maddening, yet I couldn’t entirely push aside the truth laced in his words.What if I had not asked him to follow after Lila and Caden? Would he and Emily still be together by now if he didn’t help me out?I rubbed my temples, trying to shove the frustration out of my mind.“Mr. Ethan?”I blinked, realizing Lady Tatiana, my African cook who had insisted on following me back to Silver Lake, was standing by the door.She was wearing her usual apron, her hands clasped neatly in front of her. She had been more than just a cook in the past one year. She was practically family.“I called you several times, but you didn’t respond,” she said softly.“Sorry, I was just… thinking,” I replied, my voice trailing off.She walked

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24
  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    There together

    Emily’s POVHe was right afterall.We couldn't drive or find help on time. It was getting late with each passing minute and I couldn't bear to spend the entire night in the club.In the end, we took on Ethan's offer.The room was still and quiet, except for the sound of Mera’s soft snores from the other bed.I sat cross legged on the edge of mine, staring at the glowing screen of my phone, trying to make sense of the evening’s chaos.I hadn’t planned on bumping into Ethan tonight, let alone ending up in the same hotel as him.“What the fuck, Mera?" I yelled when her snores became unbearable.I threw a pillow over Mera’s face, hoping it would conceal the deafening sounds.She threw the pillows away and continued to have her sleep.I sighed as my mind took me back to Ethan. He was pretty annoying these past few days.Still, I hadn’t missed the way his eyes softened when he spoke to me, or the faint slur in his voice from all the whiskey he’d had. And now, after settling into a room righ

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24
  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    Feet away

    EthanI didn’t expect her to ask me to stay.When Emily turned to me with those wide, uncertain eyes and said it, I was stunned. My first instinct was to leave, because being around her stirred things in me I wasn’t sure I could control.But the vulnerability in her voice, the way she seemed to need something from me, held me in place.“Alright,” I said quietly, easing back onto the bench beside her. “I’ll stay.”She offered me a small, grateful smile and hugged my jacket tighter around her. For a while, neither of us spoke. The hum of the city filled the silence between us.Damn it Ethan! Fucking say something.“I need to apologize,” I started, breaking the stillness.Her head snapped up, eyes narrowing slightly. “Apologize? For what?”“For everything,” I said, my voice thick with regret. “I never meant for things to get so… messy. I just wanted to prove myself, to be worthy of Lila.” I glanced away, staring at the horizon. “I was promised that if I kept my head down and did what was

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24
  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    Hated it

    Emily’s POVI woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling.The sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains stung my eyes, and for a moment, I was disoriented.This wasn’t my room.The walls were painted a neutral beige, the furniture sleek and modern, not the cozy, floral theme I’d picked for my own space.Sitting up, I scanned the room, my heart racing. How did I get here?“Mera?” I called out, my voice cracking slightly. Silence greeted me, and panic started to creep in. Where was she?I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, my head spinning slightly.My dress from last night was wrinkled and askew, and my hair was a mess. I shuffled over to the mirror above the dresser, hoping my reflection might offer some clue as to what had happened.But I saw more than just my fucking reflection.Written in bright yellow highlighter on the corner of the mirror was a note. The scrawny handwriting was unmistakable.Thank you for last night. – EthanMy heart dropped. “What the—”I screamed, the

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24
  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    For now

    Emily’s POVMera stood by the hotel room door, arms crossed, watching me with an expression that was part curiosity, part exasperation. “Emily, now you are done rambling to whoever, can you fucking tell me what on earth happened last night? And don’t you dare say ‘nothing.’ I was worried sick!”I waved a dismissive hand, still in my robe, pacing the room like a caged lion. “It’s nothing, really,” I said, my voice dripping with mock calmness. “I’m just going to kill that son of a bitch.”Her eyebrows shot up. “Kill who? And why?”“That stupid, annoying, arrogant jerk who thinks the world revolves around him!” I exploded, flinging open my suitcase to grab my clothes. “He thinks he’s so clever with his stupid highlighter notes and his smug little smirk. Ugh!”Mera leaned against the wall, intrigued now. “And this stupid, annoying, arrogant jerk would be…?”“Ethan!” I practically shouted his name. “With his stupid perfect jawline, those stupidly thick lashes, and his infuriatingly symmetr

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24

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  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    Believe him

    Emily The moment Ethan and Caden stepped back into the room, I could feel the shift in the air. My heart stuttered for a second as I took in the sight of my husband, his expression softer but still lined with the weight of everything that had just happened. Caden, on the other hand, looked like a man who just put out a fire, calm and assured. He caught Lila’s eye and gave her a subtle nod, a silent message passing between them.Lila turned to me and smiled. “Emily, Caden and I need to grab some groceries. We’ll pick up the kids on our way back.”I knew exactly what she was doing. She was giving us privacy, a chance to talk. A warm appreciation swelled in my chest, and I nodded, smiling back at her. “Thank you.”She waved me off as she grabbed her purse, and with a final knowing glance, she and Caden stepped out of the house, leaving Ethan and me alone.The silence stretched between us, heavy and uncertain. Ethan shifted his weight, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. I stayed

  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    Ever was

    EthanI slammed my fists into the steering wheel, the sharp sting running up my arms doing little to curb the frustration boiling inside me. I shouldn’t have let my temper get the best of me. I shouldn’t have snapped at Emily. But goddamn it, everything is falling apart, and I feel like I’m drowning with no way to get my head above water.I wasn’t supposed to make mistakes. I was supposed to take care of her, protect her, build a future where she’d never have to worry. Instead, I got swindled like a fool.Reuben. That bastard. He’d played me like a puppet, and I had danced to his tune, convinced that the deal would put us ahead. My financial advisor had warned me.“Ethan, this is too risky,” He said, but I had been arrogant, thinking I could handle it. Reuben must have been laughing behind my back, knowing full well what he was doing. And now? Now I was standing in the ruins of that stupidity, watching everything I worked for crumble.I rear back and punch the dashboard again.

  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    Do it

    Emily I knew something was wrong with Ethan before he even opened his mouth. The way his shoulders tensed when he thought no one was looking, the dark circles under his eyes from sleepless nights he never spoke about, the way he ran his hand through his hair when he thought too hard about something these were the little signs that only someone who truly knew him could catch.And I knew him. Knew him well enough to understand that he was keeping a secret. A big one.Lila and I stepped back into the living room, balancing the glasses of pineapple juice in our hands. I handed Ethan his glass, offering a soft smile. “Here you go, love.”He accepted it without looking at me. “Thanks.”Lila, ever the smooth one, slid onto the couch beside Caden and passed him his drink, shooting me a quick glance, almost as if to ask, Are you ready for this?I wasn’t. But I had no choice.I cleared my throat. “Ethan.”He sipped his juice. “Yeah?”I hesitated for a moment, gathering my thoughts, and then

  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    The kitchen

    LilaThe mood in the living room had shifted. The tension was palpable, as though the walls themselves were closing in on us. Ethan was unusually quiet, staring into his drink as if it held the answers to questions he wasn’t ready to ask, let alone answer. Caden and I exchanged looks, but neither of us dared to speak up. It had been a while since we’d all been together, and I could sense the heaviness that hung in the air, especially around Ethan.But it wasn’t until I caught Emily’s face, suddenly drained of color, that I felt a shiver of unease. She had been laughing just a minute ago, her usual lighthearted self, but now she sat there, a shadow of herself, her eyes flickering nervously. She was hiding something. I knew her too well.I didn’t want to push her in front of everyone, but I also couldn’t let it slide. I stood up, my feet carrying me toward her. "Emily," I called gently, "You good?"She froze for a moment, then forced a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Yeah,

  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    We realized

    EmilyTen years had passed and for two weeks now the rain had not let up. It was as if the clouds themselves were mourning, drenching everything in their sorrow. The funeral was anything but ordinary. Reuben had taken his own life, leaving behind a legacy as dark as the storm above. Pack traditions dictated that the body should be cremated, the ashes scattered to allow the soul to roam free. But for me, it wasn’t so simple. I’d known Reuben, and although his narcissistic and manipulative lifestyle had led to us going our separate ways and ultimately his sentence to the prison, I could not deny that I had once loved him and that he was also Ethan’s relative. “Ethan,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the howling winds, “Are you sure about this?”He didn’t answer immediately, his eyes fixed on the freshly dug grave. His jaw clenched, his brow furrowed. I could tell he was fighting with himself—struggling with a decision that felt so wrong but so necessary. Finally, he turne

  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    Epilogue

    Emily's POV Two years had passed since that life-changing day when everything seemed to fall into place. I stood at the kitchen counter, gazing out the window at the garden beyond. The sun was shining, a golden light spilling across the earth, painting everything in soft hues of warmth. The twins were playing outside, laughing as they chased each other around, their tiny feet kicking up little clouds of dust. Joan's son, almost two years old, was toddling along beside them, his innocent grin lighting up his entire face as he followed the twins’ every move. Lila’s baby, just a year old, was content in her arms, the tiny bundle snuggled against her chest, peacefully asleep.And then there was mine. My son. Our son. He had just turned one, and his bright eyes followed the others, his small hands reaching out to touch the world around him. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him, my heart swelling with a love that felt boundless. He was the perfect combination of Ethan and me, with

  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    It together

    Emily’s POVThe morning was crisp, the air just chilly enough to make me wish I had a scarf but not so cold that it drove me inside. I had grabbed my camera before heading out, planning on capturing the beauty of the city and the world around me for my blog. It wasn’t the most glamorous job, but I loved it—those quiet moments, the things most people overlooked, caught forever through the lens of my camera. I had started blogging as a way to reclaim some of my life after everything that had happened with Reuben, and over the past two months, it had been an escape. But now, it felt like something more—a way to share what I had found in the quiet spaces between moments, my own healing journey.I’d never been much of a morning person, but I had to admit, there was something beautiful about the way the world woke up. The soft golden hue of the rising sun filtering through the trees, the chirping of the birds, and the occasional rustle of leaves as a gentle breeze blew through the streets.

  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    Her again

    Ethan’s POVThe tension in the air was thick with the weight of what had just transpired. My wolf, still surging with adrenaline, felt like it was still in the thick of the fight, the echo of my claws scraping against Reuben’s skin. But the battle was over. Reuben had been captured, and now all that remained was to ensure that the twins were safe and that justice was done.I couldn’t help but glance over at the twins as I carried them, still unconscious but alive—thank the gods. The small bodies of the children felt impossibly light in my arms, but the fear gnawing at me wasn’t going away anytime soon. I could already imagine the damage done to them—mentally and physically. The kind of trauma they would have to overcome.As I moved through the woods, my thoughts kept drifting back to Emily. Her tear-streaked face haunted me. She’d been through too much—more than anyone should have to endure. I hated that Reuben had forced her to go through all this, but at least, for now, we had saved

  • No Strings Attached: My Brother’s Best Friend    The war

    Ethan’s POVThe forest was eerily quiet, the air thick with tension. My pulse pounded in my ears as I led the way through the thick trees. Every step felt heavier than the last, each footfall a reminder of what we were about to face. The twins were close. Too close. I could almost taste the fear in the air, the bitter tang of it sinking into my chest.The plan had been simple: get in, get them out, and deal with whatever came next. But there was no plan for what was about to happen. The forest was quiet now, too quiet, like the calm before a storm, and I could feel it deep in my bones.As we moved deeper, I could sense them—Reuben and his men—waiting. Their presence, looming in the shadows, thickened the air. The anger was palpable, like a storm cloud ready to burst. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew one thing for sure: we were walking into a confrontation that could change everything.When we finally reached the clearing, there they were. Reuben stood at the edge of the trees,

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